Tuning in to Speechless and talking – and laughing – about caregiving

Can you imagine losing your home while also being the primary family caregiver for a loved one? How do you navigate the tension of a child with a disability turning 18 and wanting more independence when you, as a caregiver, just want to keep them safe? What do you do when the isolating nature of caregiving becomes too much? Ask the DiMeos.

Each week the DiMeos tackle these issues on ABC’s ‘Speechless’. A group of us have been tuning in each Friday to laugh as the DiMeos navigate issues all too familiar to us and to celebrate the nuances of care relationships. JJ, a teenager with cerebral palsy, and his care team are putting faces on caregiving, which still remains largely invisible in our culture.

The DiMeos camp out in the yard after losing their house.

This season opened with us laughing as the DiMeos slept on the lawn and grabbed soap to shower in the sprinkler system after losing their home in a dispute with their landlord. While funny, Josephine Kalipeni, our Director of Policy & Federal Affairs, pointed out the critical importance of having a home. “Housing and the defining of ‘home’ is so critical to belonging, independence, and giving and getting the care we want,” she shared. “The instability of housing while balancing the cost of long-term care is a reality for far too many families.”

I’ve been burdened by population displacement- whether it is b/c of weather causing evacuation or migration or unaffordable housing. Housing & the defining “home” is so critical to belonging, independence, & giving & getting the care we want. #Speechless#SpeechlessFriday

The out of pocket cost of caregiving makes the loss of home a reality for far too many family caregivers. That’s why we are working endlessly to support family caregivers and ensure all families can get the support and care they want without having to go bankrupt.

I expect it could & will happen to someone caring for someone living with #dementia because there are so many out of pocket costs that are not covered by insurance. Of course assuming it has not happened already.

Make sure you join us Friday, November 2 at 8:30PM ET for #SpeechlessFriday on Twitter. We guarantee there will be lots of laughs and good conversations as the DiMeos share a story familiar to many of us.

Interested in changing the way we care for our loved ones? Make sure your sign up for our mailing list. And you can follow all our conversations (and join in too!) by following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook.

–Kia Smith, Social Media Manager

Get the inside info on how the #CaringMajority is changing the future of care, every month.